The Message of the Book of Mormon

Chapter 1: The History of the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a Second Witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ. It was written by ancient prophets of God who lived about the same time as the prophets who wrote the Bible. However, most of the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets who lived on the American continent.

The Book of Mormon was translated from ancient plates, which had been buried in the ground by a prophet of God. The Book of Mormon was first published in 1830 in New York state. It is a sacred history of three ancient migrations to America. All three of these civilizations left the "old world" and came to America long before the birth of Christ in Jerusalem. Two of the migrations were led by prophets of God.

After His crucifixion and resurrection, the Savior Jesus Christ visited America and appeared to his righteous followers in America. For 200 years after this glorious event, the people in America were righteous. But by 400 years after Christ the people were very wicked. The prophets knew that their days were numbered and they buried their sacred writings in the ground to be translated by a prophet who would live many hundreds of years later.

The last of the Book of Mormon prophets, whose name was Moroni, buried the last of these sacred records roughly 400 years after the birth of Christ.

Aside from the sacred teachings of the Book of Mormon, the fact that the Book of Mormon was translated from ancient records, which were written by ancient prophets, is proof that there are living prophets on the earth today. Only a prophet who was called of God in the "Latter-Days" could have translated and brought forth the Book of Mormon.

That prophet was Joseph Smith, who lived from 1805 to 1844.

But when God called a prophet in the Latter-Days, His intention was not to call one prophet, but a series of prophets who would be called to lead His people until His Second Coming. This series of prophets have the authority to lead the followers of God until the Second Coming of the Savior himself.

The prophets of God in these latter-days include: Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and so on, all the way to the current living prophet: President Thomas S. Monson, whose is God's living prophet on the earth today.

God's Living Prophet Today

President Thomas S. Monson

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints"The Mormons"

Wilford Woodruff, the fourth prophet in this dispensation (he was the prophet between: April 7, 1889 - September 2, 1898), made this statement:

When the Lord gave the keys of the kingdom of God, the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood, of the apostleship, and sealed them upon the head of Joseph Smith, He sealed them upon his head to stay here upon the earth until the coming of the Son of Man. Well might Brigham Young say, ‘The keys of the kingdom of God are here.’ They were with him to the day of his death. They then rested upon the head of another man — President John Taylor. He held those keys to the hour of his death. They then fell by turn, or in the providence of God, upon Wilford Woodruff.

I say to the Latter-day Saints the keys of the kingdom of God are here, and they are going to stay here, too, until the coming of the Son of Man. Let all Israel understand that. They may not rest upon my head but a short time, but they will then rest on the head of another apostle, and another after him, and so continue until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven.
Wilford Woodruff, Millennial Star, September 2, 1889, 547

Here is a link to the official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for those who are not members of the church. You can also get a free copy of the Book of Mormon by visiting this website:An Official Website of LDS Church